Jat stir: Home secy shunted out after Prakash panel report

18 May

The Haryana government on Tuesday shunted out its additional chief secretary (Home), four days after the Prakash Singh committee report found “deliberate negligence” on part of 90 officials including IAS and IPS officers during the Jat quota agitation in February.

PK Das, senior IAS officer and additional chief secretary (Home), has been relieved of the charge and replaced by another senior IAS officer Ram Niwas, an official spokesperson said.

Niwas, who was ACS (Irrigation), has been posted as additional chief secretary, Home, Jails, Criminal Investigation and Administration of Justice Departments, he said. Around 90 officers including IAS and IPS officers were indicted for “deliberate negligence” during the Jat quota agitation by the committee and adverse comments were made against them in its report submitted to chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar on May 13.

The committee was appointed on February 25 to inquire into the alleged acts of omission and commission on part of officials of both police and civil administration during the agitation From February 7 to 22. The committee had inquired into the role of officers starting from the rank of sub-inspector to SP in police and naib tehsildar or duty magistrate to the rank of deputy commissioner in civil administration in the affected districts of Rohtak, Jhajjar, Jind, Hisar, Kaithal, Bhiwani, Sonepat and Panipat.

After receiving the report, the chief minister had said the government will examine it and take appropriate action at the earliest.

Haryana government had faced strong criticism following the eruption of violence and arson during Jat quota stir in February and about a month back appointed K P Singh as the new DGP of Haryana, removing Yashpal Singal from the post.

The government also issued transfer and posting orders of five other IAS officers with immediate effect on Tuesday.

Principal secretary, environment, monitoring and coordination Anurag Rastogi, was given the additional charge of irrigation. ACS, labour and employment, Shashi Bala Gulati was posted as ACS, women and child development in place of Dheera Khandelwal who was posted as ACS information, public relations and languages department relieving Sanjeev Kaushal.